Judge recuses herself from Kofi Adams’ case
The judge presiding over the case of a businessman who allegedly duped the National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Kofi Adams, to the tune of GH¢840, 000 has recused herself from the case.
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Mrs Harriet Akweley Quaye, a judge of the Accra Circuit Court, took exception yesterday to comments made by the lawyer for Arnold Asante, the accused, that she had met a previous prosecutor of another case in which his client had been alleged to have duped another person of GH¢62,000.
Mrs Quaye is the judge handling both the alleged fraud by Asante against Mr Adams and the GH¢62,000 alleged fraud against a businesswoman.
Counsel for the accused, Dr Maurice Ankrah, making a submission for bail, said his client was facing serious challenges and a prosecutor who first handled the case had met the judge to inform her.
Mrs Quaye did not take kindly to counsel’s comments and insisted that she had not discussed any issue with any prosecutor or any interested party in the case.
“I have not met any prosecutor, but for you to say that I have had conference with a prosecutor means I have been compromised. I will, therefore, write to the Chief Justice that I am recusing myself from both cases,’’ the presiding judge said.
In response, Dr Ankrah stated that he was not accusing the judge of involving herself in any illegality, but he wanted her to appreciate his client’s situation.
“Your honour, I did not accuse you of conniving with anybody, and please if that was how my submission was interpreted, I am extremely sorry,’’ he said.
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With the judge recusing herself, the Chief Justice will have to assign another judge to handle the cases.
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Kofi Adams
In the case involving Mr Adams, Asante has been charged with defrauding by false pretence.
He is alleged to have defrauded the NDC national organiser of GH¢840,000 in a business deal that involved the supply of tyres to Goldfields Mining Company Limited.
The prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Stephen Adjei, told the court that in December 2016, Asante convinced Mr Adams that he had secured a contract to supply tyres to Goldfields, Tarkwa, and, therefore, needed money to execute the contract.
Asante, he said, then promised to pay the money in the same month.
“During the due period of payment, Asante indicated to Mr Adams that the contract payment was being processed by Goldfields Ghana Limited and requested him to provide him with his bank account numbers to effect payment into it,’’ he said.
ASP Adjei added that Asante later told Mr Adams that Goldfields had issued a cheque to him to effect the payment.
Despite all those assurances, the prosecutor stated that no money was paid to Mr Adams.
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Another case
In the other case, Asante is alleged to have defrauded a Sunyani-based businesswoman to the tune of GH¢62,000 in January under the pretext of securing her a Range Rover vehicle being auctioned by the state.
He has been charged with defrauding by false pretence and issuing a dud cheque.
The prosecution claims Asante convinced the businesswoman that he could help her secure the vehicle in one week and collected the money.
The businesswoman, it said, travelled to Accra on February 8, 2016 and paid the money.
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“Upon receipt of the money, Asante failed to deliver the vehicle as he had promised. Upon persistent demands for her money to be paid, Asante, on February 16, 2016, issued a Barclays Bank cheque with a face value of GH¢50,000 to the businesswoman, but when it was presented to the bank, it was dishonoured for lack of funds,’’ the prosecution added.